In today's CMU Daily: Spotify and Epic are not impressed with Apple’s latest attempt to make its App Store rules around in-app payments compliant with the EU’s Digital Markets Act. New proposals offer more flexibility and lower fees, but Spotify and Epic claim the latest terms still violate European law

One Liners: Lemonaide x Beatstars; Gucci x BTS Jin; appointments at Bauer Media, MCT Agentur, Tickets For Good, Capitol Christian Music Group, TikTok; Travis Scott arrest; Beyoncé copyright lawsuit dropped; Instagram metrics; Sonos app woes; Audial Music; iHeart earnings show podcast growth, plus release and tour news

Also today: Pitbull’s label is on the receiving end of the latest song-theft lawsuit. A company called All Surface Publishing claims that his track ‘I Feel Good’ rips off an earlier song called ‘Samir’s Theme’, which was shared with Pitbull collaborator DJ White Shadow in 2011

Apple's latest proposal “blatantly disregards” fundamentals of EU’s DMA, says Spotify

Apple has unveiled new terms for iOS app developers in the European Union in relation to in-app payments in another bid to comply with the EU’s Digital Markets Act. 

It is offering developers more flexibility when sign-posting alternative payment options outside their apps and better financial terms. Which may be enough to placate EU regulators, who concluded that Apple’s previous terms were not DMA compliant. Spotify and Fortnite maker Epic Games, however, are definitely not placated. 

“Apple once again blatantly disregards the fundamental requirements of the Digital Markets Act”, Spotify says in a statement, urging the European Commission to start fining Apple for failing to comply with the DMA. Meanwhile Epic boss Tim Sweeney dubs Apple’s latest terms a “malicious” attempt to comply with EU rules. 

Ghostwriter Consultancy & Events // Promoter (Whitburn Hybrid)

Ghostwriter Consultancy & Events // Junior Promoter (Whitburn Hybrid)

Playliveartist // Paid Media Manager (London)

IDOL // DSP Editorial & Partnerships Manager (London)

Ghostwriter Consultancy & Events // Marketing Manager (Whitburn Hybrid)

Domino // Junior Radio Plugger (London)

Sentric Music // Revenue Optimisation Manager (London/Liverpool)

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ONE LINERS

Deals

• Lemonaide, an AI platform for music creation, has introduced its new Collab Club feature in partnership with BeatStars. 
• Gucci has named BTS member Jin as its newest global brand ambassador - which caused Gucci's website in Japan to crash briefly due to overwhelming traffic, a phenomenon fans are dubbing "The Seokjin impact".

Appointments

• David Salt has been appointed Deputy Director Of Audio at Bauer Media Audio UK.
• MCT Agentur, the Berlin-based independent promoter, has elevated Asita Sadeghian and Kristin Schulz to managing directors alongside founder Scumeck Sabottka. 
• Tickets For Good has appointed former Ticketmaster Executive Vice President Don Orris as President of its North American Business Operations.
• Universal Music’s Capitol Christian Music Group has promoted Emily Dashiell, Jeff Gunkel and Carlos Monnaco to senior vice president roles.
• TikTok has promoted Charlotte Stahl to Head of Artist & Label Partnerships for EMEA, extending her remit beyond her previous German-speaking markets focus.

Legal

• Travis Scott has been arrested in Paris following an alleged altercation with his bodyguard and hotel security at the George V hotel. 
• A lawsuit against Beyoncé and Sony Music over samples in her hit single ‘Break My Soul’ has been voluntarily dismissed. 

Streaming, Digital & Broadcast

• Instagram has made views the primary metric for content across all formats on its platform, allowing creators to track the same metric across Reels, Stories, photos and other content types. 
• Sonos CEO Patrick Spence has announced the delay of two major product launches and a reduction in fiscal 2024 guidance, following ongoing issues with the company's redesigned app. 
• Audial Music AI has launched a new AI-powered audio production platform, offering a suite of tools for musicians, producers and audio enthusiasts.
• iHeartMedia has reported a 1% increase in total revenue to $929 million for the second quarter of 2024, despite recording an operating loss of $910 million. 

Live

• Burning Man has launched an unprecedented ticket sale just weeks before its 2024 festival, with passes still available for the normally sold-out event. 
• Roger Field, former president of Live Nation Asia Pacific, has launched a new live events advisory agency called Further Afield, based in Melbourne, Australia.
• Germany's WHOLE Festival evacuated a stage due to a "threat to public safety".
• Blink-182 have cancelled two upcoming shows in Kansas City and St Louis due to illness, the band has announced on social media. 

Releases & Tours

• The Smile have released their new single ‘Don't Get Me Started’.
• Siobhán Winifred has released the title track to her debut album ‘Don't Do Well Alone’. The album is out 27 Sep.
• Chase & Status and Stormzy have collaborated on new single ‘BACKBONE’.
• Mal Not Bad has released their debut album ‘This Is Your New Life’.
• Kali Uchis has released her new album ‘ORQUÍDEAS Parte 2’.
• Bimini has released their new single ‘IF YOU GET IT YOU GET IT’.
• TOMMY CASH has released his new single ‘UNTZ UNTZ’.
• FINNEAS has released the title track single for his new album ‘For Cryin’ Out Loud!’. The album is out 4 Oct.
• JADE has released Angel Of My Dreams (S.A.D. Version - Slow. Angelic. Dramatic).
• Tomu DJ has released her new single ‘Haters can be mad’. Her new album 'I Want To Be' is out 31 Aug.
• LÂLKA has released her new single ‘Yves Klein’
• goddard. has released his new single ‘Miss U’.
• Aziya has released her new single ‘call my name (lux lisbon)’.
• LL COOL J has released his new single ‘Proclivities’, featuring Saweetie. His new album ‘The FORCE’ is out 6 Sep.
• Myke Towers has collaborated with NTG on new single ‘LA PRIMERA VEZ’. His new album ‘La Pantera Negra’ is out 22 Aug.
• KESH has released her new single ‘Cried For You’.
• Jeremie Albino has released his new single ‘I Don't Mind Waiting’. His new album ‘Our Time In The Sun’ is out 1 Nov.
• CC: DISCO! & Aldonna have released a remix of BIG WETT’s ‘SHE GOT THAT THING’.
• House Gospel Choir have released their new album ‘Love is the Message’.
• Wunderhorse have released their new single ‘Rain’. Their new album ‘Midas’ is out 30 Aug.
• Will Young has released his new album ‘Light It Up’.
• Latto has released her new album ‘Sugar Honey Iced Tea’.
• Nina Nesbitt has released her new single ‘Anger’. Her new album ‘Mountain Music’ is out 27 Sep.
• Dean Lewis and Sasha Alex Sloan have collaborated on new single ‘Rest’. His new album ‘The Epilogue’ is out 18 Oct.
• Zedd has released his new single ‘Lucky’, featuring Remi Wolf. His new album ‘Telos’ is out 30 Aug.
• Leon Thomas has released his new single ‘MUTT’.
• Larry June has released his new album ‘Doing It For Me’.
• Destroy Boys have released their new album ‘Funeral Soundtrack #4’.
• Katy Perry has released her new single ‘LIFETIMES’. Her new album ‘143’ is out 20 Sep.
• Shawn Mendes has released two new singles ‘Why Why Why’ and ‘Isn’t That Enough’. His new album ‘Shawn’ is out 18 Oct.
• Michael Bublé has released his new single ‘Don't Blame It On Me’. His new album ‘The Best Of Bublé’ is out 27 Sep.
• Snow Patrol have released their new single ‘All’. Their new album ‘The Forest Is The Path’ is out 13 Sep.
• Clean Bandit, Anne-Marie and David Guetta have collaborated on new single ‘Cry Baby’.
• Glasgow party Erosion has announced its latest season of events at The Flying Duck. Nights include dBridge and FAUZIA on 6 Sep. You can view the full listings here.

Pitbull sued over alleged song-theft on ‘I Feel Good’

Pitbull’s label Mr 305 Inc has been sued by a New York-based music publisher which alleges that his 2021 track ‘I Feel Good’ incorporates elements of an earlier song that it controls called ‘Samir’s Theme’. 

The two songs, says a lawsuit filed by All Surface Publishing, “have significant similarities, including but not limited to melody, harmony, melodic structure, tempo, musical arrangement and percussion”. Not only that, but the two works “are performed at practically identical tempos. ‘I Feel Good’ is performed at 125 bpm and ‘Samir’s Theme’ is performed at 126 bpm”. 

All Surface Publishing and its director, composer Aaron LaCanfora, reckon that the large creative team behind ‘I Feel Good’ got access to ‘Samir’s Theme’ via DJ White Shadow, aka Paul Blair, a co-writer and guest artist on the Pitbull track.